To gain access to the hip joint to perform, e.g., hip arthroscopy, orthopedic hip pinning or minimally-invasive hip joint replacement, the femoral head (ball) is pulled out of the acetabulum (socket) in the pelvis. Hospitals typically use a fracture table to put the hip joint under traction while the patient is in a supine position. Hip distractors are known that attach to a standard operating table, and that are dedicated to use with the patient in either a supine position or a lateral position.
Two methods for hip distraction are Distraction Mode, in which the lower extremity is put in tension via traction between the foot and pelvis, and Femoral Acetabular Impingement (FAI) Mode, in which there is no traction on the lower extremity and there is a larger range of motion than the distraction mode. In the FAI Mode, the hip is flexed up between 30 to 90 degrees and the knee is flexed approximately 45 degrees. The scrub nurse holds the knee from falling laterally. Both methods can be performed using a fracture table with the patient in the supine position. To move a patient between the two modes, and to move the hip joint through its range of motion to check for impingement between the femoral neck and the acetabular rim, the circulator nurse reaches under the draped foot area to unlock the table.